Method for registering and soldering double page electrotype



April 26, 1955 H. w FAEBER 2,796,946 METHOD FOR REGISTERING AND SOLDERING DOUBLE PAGE ELECTROTYPE Filed Jan. 31, 1951 TEUT l.

TI 1/ JNVENTOR.

"nited States atent Ofiice 396,946 Patented Apr. 26, 1%55 bvi METHQD FOR REGISTERENG AND SOLDERING DOUBLE PAGE ELECTROTYPE Harry W. Faeber, Larchmcnt, N. Y., assignor to Time, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 31, 1951, Serial No. 208,783 4 Claims. (11. lei-401.2

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for registering and soldering double page electrotypes and embodies, more specifically, an improved method and apparatus by means of which electrotypes that are to be used in a printing operation to print a double page spread, may be accurately registered and secured together to form a unitary printing surface. The method contemplates providing steps by means of which the securing operation may be elfected in such fashion as to avoid interfering with the printed image formed by the double page printing surface and also, as above suggested, provides means by which the two separately formed single page electrotypes may be efiectively registered prior to and during the operation in which they are secured together as a unitary structure.

It is common, in many commercial printing operations, to print subject matter upon the facing pages of two adjacent pages of the printed matter. In such an operation it is important, of course, that the subject matter of one adjacent page agree with and provide the desired continuity of the subject matter of the adjacent facing page. It is required in existing operations, that the separate electrotypes of the two adjacent facing pages be soldered together to form a unified double page plate. In multicolor printing, great difficulty is experienced in registering the several color plates of such double page spreads on the press, because the soldering operation does not join the two electrotypes together accurately enough to bring the adjoining images in exactly the same relationship with one another on the several color plates of the same subjcct. Furthermore, in present practice, any discrepancy of register can only be determined after the plates have been put on the press and a trial impression has been run. Thus it is often required to remove one or more of the color plates from the press, cut them apart and resolder them in an effort to correct the relationship of the adjoining images.

In accordance with the present invention, a method is provided whereby the single page electrotypes composing double page spreads may be accurately registered and secured together in exactly the same relationship on all the several color plates of the same subject well in advance of going to press.

in order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure l is an axonometric view showing certain apparatus that may be used in performing the initial steps of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an axonometric view illustrating the manner in which the single electrotypes shown in Figure 1 are punched to facilitate register of the electrotypes during the operation in which they are secured together;

Figure 3 is an axonometric view illustrating the apparatus by means of which the electrotypes may be secured in position during the soldering or other operation in which the electrotypes are secured together; and

Figure 4 is a view in cross-section, taken at line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the above drawings, the base of a registering mechanism is provided with a hinged plate 11 upon which is carried a transparent and cross-ruled register screen 12. Mating locating lugs 13 and 14 are carried on the members 10 and 11 and, on the base 10, locating wedges 15 are provided. A register block 16 is provided with a plurality of adjusting knobs 17 which operate threaded shafts in the block 16 to adjust the positions of clips 18. As illustrated in Fig. l, the clips 18 are used to position two separate single page electrotypes 19 and 20.

After the electrotypes 19 and 2f have been properly located upon the base 16, as described in greater detail hereinafter, the base is transferred to a punch mechanism comprising a punch table 21 having a plurality of punch fixtures 22, 23, 24, and 25. In the mechanism illustrated, the punch fixture 25 is slidably mounted in tracks 25a upon the table 21. Stop 25b, which is fastened to table 21, locates punch fixture 25 in working position. Table 21 is provided with a plurality of locating wedges 26 similar to the wedges 15 on base if and by means of which the register blocks 16 may be properly located upon the table 21. Each of the punch fixtures is provided with an operating handle, as illustrated at 27, and the punching operation performed upon the plates will be readily apparent from Figure 2 and will be described in detail presently.

After the punching has been accomplished, the electro types 19 and 20 are transferred to a soldering block 28 having spaced pedestals 29 and 30 and adjustable locating clips 31. The electrotypes 19 and 20 are secured in position by the locating clips 31. Hold down pads 32 and 33 are mounted upon the respective pedestals 29 and 30 by means of piston rods 34 and 35, respectively, actuated by the fluid pressure within the respective cylinders 35 and 37. While the electrotypes are held in the manner illus trated in Figure 3, they are secured together by a soldering operation in a manner presently to be described.

The method of the present invention is performed in the following manner. Two separate single page electrotypes 19 and 2% of the desired double page spread are placed upon the register block 16 as illustrated in Figure 1. Prior to this location of the electrotypes, the joining edges were preferably previously trimmed a trifle inside of the desired joining edges, so as to allow a slight space between the two electrotypes when they are positioned in the proper relationship to one another.

The register screen 12 is then lowered upon the electrotypes and the images of the electrotypes are squared with respect to the screen by means of the knobs l7 and clips 18.

After the single page electrotypes have been properly located, the register screen is lifted and the electrotypes are inked. A transparency 38 is then placed over the electrotypes and the image thereof printed upon the transparency. During this operation transparency 38, which is clamped between bars 38a at both ends, is stretched tight between bars 16a and 16b. The bar 16a is fastened fixedly to register block 16, but bar 16b can be moved parallel with itself by means of tightening screws 16c and is thus used to stretch the transparency securely over the electrotypes.

The printed transparency is now set aside, and the register block 16 is then transferred to the punch table 21 and properly located by the wedges 26. Punches 22 and 23 are actuated to punch match-up holes 39 and 4t in the electrotypes and register holes 41 and 42 are punched by the respective punches 24 and 25. The register hole 42 is preferably round while the hole 41 is elongated, and it will be observed that the match-up holes 39 and are half and half in the two joining edges of the electrotypes.

The punched electrotypes shown in Figure 2 are then placed face down upon the soldering block 28, as illustrated in Figure 3, and flush copper plugs 43 and 44 are placed in the respective match-up holes 39 and 40. The clips 31 are then moved toward each other until the electrotypes are brought up against the plugs 43. The hold down pads 32 and 33 are then lowered to hold the electrotypes in the aforementioned position and the adjacent or joining edges, together with the match-up plugs, are soldered together. The joining edges so soldered are indicated at 45 in Figure 3.

The double page spread is then subjected to further finishing operations in accordance with standard practice now commonly used. In this connection, it is to be observed that the register holes 41 and 42 and the matchup holes 39 and 40 are all outside the actual printing area. Thus, in the course of subsequent plate making j operations, the holes 41 and 42 and plugs 43 and 44 will be trimmed off.

If the printing operation to be performed is a multicolor one, the previously described registering and soldering operations were preferably performed upon the key electrotypes. Having completed the joining of the key electrotypes, the successive color electrotypes are joined by locating the color electrotypes upon the register block 116 and registering them to agree with the printed image upon the transparency 38 (the joining edges having previously preferably been trimmed). After properly registering the color electrotypes, the successive punching, soldering and finishing operations are performed as previously described.

Each successive pair of color electrotypes are registered, punched and soldered until the entire set is completed.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a simple and effective method of registering and soldering sets of single page electrotypes has been provided. The invention assures that the respective electrotypes are secured in proper registered position and maintained in such position during all subsequent operations.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited save as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1.. The method of joining two printing plates to form a double page spread comprising spacing the electrotypes with edges thereof to be joined in a desired spaced relationship, simultaneously punching opposed matching notches in the edges to be joined with a punch of a desired cross section, moving the plates to another location, placing plugs of the same cross-section as said punch between said plates and engaging in the match-up notches, moving said plates relatively to engage said plugs firmly in said match-up notches to bring the printing plates again into said desired spaced relationship, and soldering the printing plates together along the edges to be joined.

2. The method of joining two electrotypes to form a double page spread comprising spacing the electrotypes with edges to be joined in a desired spaced relationship, simultaneously punching opposed match-up notches in the edges to be joined with a punch of a desired crosssection, separating and moving the plates to another location, placing plugs of the same cross-section as said punch between the edges to be joined and engaging in the matchup notches, moving said electrotypes relatively to engage the plugs tightly in the match-up notches to position the electrotypes in said desired spaced relation, clamping said plates in said desired spaced relation, and soldering the electrotypes together along the joining edges.

3. The method of joining electrotypes for multicolor printing operations to form double page spreads comprising spacing two key electrotypes with edges to be joined in a desired spaced relationship, inking the said electrotypes and making an impression thereof upon a transparent medium, simultaneously punching opposed match-up notches in the edges to be joined with a punch of a desired cross-section, moving the plates to another location, placing plugs of the same cross-section as said punch between said plates and engaging in the notches, moving the electrotypes to engage said plugs firmly in said notches to hold the electrotypes in the desired spaced relationship, soldering the electrotypes together along the edges to be joined, registering the two electrotypes of another color with the printed impression on the transparent medium while maintaining the medium in the same position in which the printed impression was made, and then subsequently punching and soldering the color electrotypes in the manner above set forth.

4. The method of joining two electrotypes to form a double page spread comprising placing two electrotypes upon a desired supporting surface, adjusting their positions with respect to the supporting surface with edges to be joined in a desired spaced relationship, simultaneously punching opposed match-up notches in the edges to be joined with a punch of a desired cross-section, separating the plates and moving them to a difierent location, placing the plugs of the same cross-section as said punch between said plates and engaging in the notches, moving said electrotypes relatively to engage said plugs firmly in said notches for positioning the electrotypes in the desired spaced relationship, and soldering the electrotypes together along the edges to be joined.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 927,049 Howe July 6, 1909 1,045,996 McLean Dec. 3, 1912 1,147,130 Warren July 20, 1915 1,383,621 Greeley July 5, 1921 1,443,810 Betts et al Jan. 30, 1923 1,584,368 Geiger May 11, 1926 2,000,756 Heck May 7, 1935 2,082,372 Wood June 1, 1937 2,221,326 Holman Nov. 12, 1940 2,261,554 Lengel Nov. 4, 1941 

